Apparatus for lifting invalids



se 't. 13, 1932.

E. c. BANCROFT AAQPPARATUS FOR LIFTING INVALIDS Filed April '7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 13, 1932. E. c. BAN'CROFT APPARATUS FOR LIFTING INVALIDS Filed April 7, 1951' 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Same/wk Patented Sept. 13, 1932 EVERETT C. BANCROFT', OF HAMILTON, NEW YORK APPARATUS. FOR LIFTING INVALIDS;

Application filed April 7,

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for lifting invalids and one object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character by means of which an invalid bl} may be easily lifted from a bed to a rolling chair or another bed or temporarily suspended abovea bed in'a reclining or sitting position for any reason whatever.

Another object of the invention is to so 3 construct the device that there will be no danger of the patient sliding out of the hoist and further permit thedevice to. be operated by one attendant or by the patient himself.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character including an improved type of sling having bands forming part of. the same which may be easily engaged beneath portions of a persons body' and thereby permit the person to be lifted from the bed without discomfort in eithera reclining or a sitting position.

Another object of the invention is to provide bands to extend beneath a person which will remain flat and to further permit the bands to be adjusted longitudinally in order that they may accommodate themselves to the size of the person and also be of the proper length to engage about different por-,

t'ions of a persons body according to whether the personis to be lifted in a reclining or sit-- ting position;

An-other obj ect of the invention is to so locate the bands that they may be easily en gaged about appropriate portions of a persons body and adjusted'and also permit them to be detached and thoroughly cleaned when necessary. I

Another object of the invention is to pro-j vide a device of this character which is very simple in construction, easy to apply and very easy to operate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 1s a vlew in side elevation showing an invalid llfted by means of the improved apparatus and suspended in a sitting position Figure 2 is a view showing a person suspended by means of the improved apparatus in areclining position,

1931. Serial No. 525,427.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of. the sling formingpart of the apparatus,

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a band forming part of the sling shown in Figure 3',

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 illus-' trating a modified form of band,

Figure 6 is a section taken along the line;

66 of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 isa'view of a carriage mounted upon an overhead track and from which a block and tackle forming part of the lifting apparatus maybe suspended.

' This improved apparatus is intended to be used in order that aninvalid maybe lifted from a bed indicated by the numeral 1 andeither transferred to another bed or a wheel chair or merely temporarily supported in an elevated position. By comparing Figures 1 and 2 it will'be seen that the invalid may be suspendedin either a sitting or a reclining position. I

In Figure 1 therehas been shown a crane. 2 which forms part of the apparatus and has a vertically disposed standardB rotatably supported in a vertical position by bearings 4 secured against a wall back of the head of the bed at the center thereof and having its lower end seated in a socket 5 upon the floor. An arm 6 which is braced'by a diagonally extending strut 7 projects from the upper endof the standard 8 and upon this arm is disposed a carriage 8 which may be slid along the arm between the upper end of the strut and the abutment 9 at the free end of'the arm. A portion of the carriage extends downwardly below the arm 6 as shown at 10 and is engaged by the hook 11 of a block 12 which together with the block 13 and rope 14 form a block and tackle. The upper block or pulley 12 is of the self lock ing type and provided witha latch 15 for controlling the same. Therefore when the invalid has been elevated, the rope will be prevented from slipping and the invalid will remain in the suspended position. The crane may then be swung transversely of the bed to dispose the invalid over a wheel chair and the latch released so that'the patient may be gently lowere a v is In order to lift the patient there has been provided an improved sling which is suspended from the lower block or pulley 13 by engagement with the hook 17 thereof. This sling includes a yoke 16 which may be formed of wood, metal or any other desired material and in the specific form illustrated, consists of a frame having side bars 18 joined by end bars 19 and 20 which have their ends firmly secured to the side bars by fasteners 21, the lower ends of which are formed into hooks 22 and 23. A hook 24 has also been provided intermediate the length of the end bar 20 and intermediate the length of the bar 19 is an eye 25. The eye 25 projects upwardly for engagement with the hook 17 and therefore the yoke may be suspended from the block or pulley 13 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Band-s 26, 27 and 28 are used in connection with the frame and referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, itwill be seen that the bands 26 and 28 are about twice as wide as the bands 27. These bands have handles 29 at their ends. The band 26 has its handles engaged with the hooks 22 and the bands 27 each has a handle at one end engaged with the hooks 24 and the handles at their other ends engaged with the hook 24. Therefore the band 26 may be engaged about a persons back beneath the arms and the bands 27 form supports for a personslegs and an invalid may be lifted from a bedin a sitting position for transfer to a wheel chair or allowed to remain suspended as shown in Figure 1 in order to obtain relief from lying in bed. Pads, such as shown in Fig 5, may be provided at 26 to prevent cutting beneath the arms.

. By referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the band 28 engages about a persons shoulders and neck and under the backof the head and the bands 26 and 27 both have their handles connected with the hooks 23 and one of these bands engaged beneath a persons back while the other engages beneath a persons legs, thereby permitting an invalid to be lifted in a reclining vposition. The band 28 is longer than the bands 26 and 27.

The bands maybe constructed either as shown in Figure 4 or as shown in Figure 5. Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the band consists of a body 30 which may be formed of canvas, leather or any other suitable material. This band has its end portions folded and sewed or otherwise secured to form loops 31 through which the handles are engaged. Each handle is formed from a strand of strong wire bent intermediate its length to form an eye 32 for engagement by the hooks of the yoke. End portions of the wire strand extend in opposite directions from the eye to form arms 33 which diverge from the eye and are then bent towards each other, as shown at 34, and twisted together to form an inner bar 35 which'passes through the loop 31. Since the inner bars of the handles are formed by twisting end portions of the strands together, they will be rough instead of smooth and this roughening of the inner end bars will prevent the loops from slipping along the inner bars and causing the band to gather and bind which would be very uncomfortable to a person suspended by the bands.

The band shown in Figure 5 consists of companion sections 36 which may be formed of canvas, leather or any other suitable material and may be provided with pads 37 to prevent cutting beneath the arms which pads may be releasably secured by snap fasteners. Eyelets 38 are engaged through adjacent ends of the sections 36, and the sections are connected to each other by a lacing 39 threaded through the eyelets. The handles 40 may be stamped from sheet metal or formed in any other manner desired. An eye 41 1s provided at the outer end of each handle and the inner portion 42 is formed with slots 43, 44 and 45, the outer edge being serrated to form teeth as shown at 46. Each section 36 has its outer end portion passed upwardly through the inner slot 45 of a handle then down through the intermediate slot 44 and upwardly across the serrated edge 46, then down through the outer slot 43 after which it is threaded upwardly through the slot 44 and down through the slot 45. Therefore the ends of the sections forming the band will be firmly engaged with the handles but may be loosened and adjusted when necessary and will not slip when subject to strain.

By this arrangement bands may be longitudinally adjusted and thereby caused to as sume the proper length according to the size of the person to be lifted and the portions of the body beneath which the bands are to be engaged.

.VVhen this hoist is in use the crane is swung into position over the bed and the rope 14 let out until the lower pulley 13 is near the patient. The bands are slipped into place beneath a persons back and legs as shown in Figure 1 or disposed beneath a person as shown in Figure 2, the handles being then engaged with the hooks of the yoke. The eye 25 of the yoke is engaged with the hook 17 and the rope then pulled upon to lift the patient. f the bands are arranged as shown in Figure 1, pull upon the rope will first lift the patient to a sitting position and the pa tient will then be moved to an elevated position.

Instead of employing a crane such as shown in Figure 1, the block and tackle may be suspended from a carriage 47 having wheels 48 resting upon a track 49 which will be sup ported in an overhead position in any manner desired and extend transversely over a bed. This track may extend the full length of a room and extend across a number of beds placed against a wall of a Ward. Therefore the carriage may then be moved to a position above any bed desired of a row of beds and a patient lifted from a bed for transfer to a Wheel chair or another bed or merely suspended in an elevated position.

What is claimed is:

A sling comprising a rigid frame having side bars and front and rear end bars, depending hooks at the corners of the frame and at the center of the front end bar, an upstanding hook at the center of the rear end bar to be engaged With a hoist, and a plurality of bands each provided at each end With a handle extending the full Width of the band and having a central eye engageable with one of the depending hooks.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EVERETT G. BANCROFT. [L. s] 

